On 20 March 2016, Consul-General DusitManapanattended a Symposium organized by the Kansai Consular Corps (KCC), in cooperation with the Telemann Institute Japan. About 50 participants attended the Symposium including Japanese youth, foreign students, teachers, government representatives and members of the KCC. The Symposium’s main objective was to provide Japanese youth with a forum to exchange views and interact with foreign students and Consuls-General in Kansai in the topic of how to create “Kigen-YohKurasu” (Happy Life, Active Society) taking into account the recent electoral reform in Japan, which has lowered the voting age from 20 to 18. Consuls-General of the Netherlands,the United States, Thailand and India were invited to interact with the youths. 

 

            In his comments, Consul-General Dusitcongratulated the youth participants on their excellent presentations on “Kigen-YohKurasu” and mentioned how Japanese society has become more open now, and likely to be even more open in the future. He also emphasized that Japan is one of Thailand’s closest friends and its main investor. Therefore, the Japanese youths’ viewpoints as well as the future of Japan are crucial to the future of other countries in the region including Thailand.